May 05, 2017

A L'Avenir

The five-step schottische was not E. Woodworth Masters' only choreographic effort.

Interestingly, considering its American origin, I first ran across A L'Avenir in the pages of Dancing, a London periodical similar to The Director, Galop, The Two-Step, and other efforts by dancing masters to establish dance journals. In the December, 1892, issue, the editor notes that the November issue of their "transatlantic contemporary" included the editor's version of the "Waltz Menuet" and that (therefore?) they include in this issue instructions for a new American dance, "L'Avenir", by "Mr. W. Masters, of Boston, United States". The editor in question was probably R. M. Crompton, creator of one of several late nineteenth-century "waltz minuets".

The music seems also to have been composed by Masters; no one else is credited.

A L'Avenir (the full name) was adopted by the American National Association of Teachers of Dancing at their convention in Washington, D.C., held from June 10-13, 1890.

The sheet music is copyright 1891.

A L'Avenir is described as "A New Round Dance, Combination of Dance Movements". It certainly is that. The name means "for the future" or "henceforth", which raises the terrifying possibility that this is what Masters thought dancing would or should look like in the future. The hodgepodge of movements he created is interesting, at least: a twenty-four-bar sequence in schottische (4/4) time. Twenty-four bars is an unusual length for a sequence dance, but a quick check of the music reveals that it consists of twelve eight-bar strains, with the first, fourth, seventh, and tenth all being the same. So the dance done four times through would match the sheet music nicely.

Here's how to do it:

A L'Avenir (24-bar schottische sequence dance)The starting position of has the couple side by side, both facing forward along line of dance, near hands joined and raised. The gentleman starts on the left foot, the lady on the right. The dance has three parts:

Part One (eight measures): promenade1b Point left foot in 4th (12), draw it back to 3rd (34)1b Slide left forward, close right, slide left forward, close right without weight (1234)1b Point right foot in 4th (12), draw it back to 3rd (34)1b Slide right forward, close left, slide right forward, close left without weight (1234)4b Repeat all of the above

Part Two (eight measures): redowa (five-step) schottische(take closed ballroom position)1b Slide left to 2nd (1), close right to 3rd (2), left back to 4th (quarter-turn) (3), right to 2nd (quarter turn) (4)1b Close left to right (&), slide right to 2nd (1), close left to 3rd (2), right forward to 4th (quarter-turn) (3), left to 2nd (quarter turn) (4)1b Close right to left (&), slide left to 2nd (1), close right to 3rd (2), left back to 4th (quarter-turn) (3), right to 2nd (quarter turn) (4)1b Close left to right (&), slide right to 2nd (1), close left to 3rd (2), right forward to 4th (quarter-turn) (3), left to 2nd (quarter turn) (4)4b Continue repeating this pattern, starting each measure with the initial close of feet

Part Three (eight measures): galop and glide schottische1b Rise on toes (&), slide left to 2nd (1), close right rising (&), slide left to 2nd (2), close right rising (&), slide left to 2nd (3), close right to 1st (4)1b Slide left to 2nd (1), close right to 3rd in front (2), slide left to 2nd across line of dance starting the half turn (3), close right to 1st completing turn (4)2b Repeat all of this beginning on the right foot and completing the full turn4b Repeat all of the above for another full turn

At the end of the turn they would open up side by side holding near hands to repeat the entire thing.

There's a certain logic to the progression of movements in A L'Avenir: eight bars of slow promenade, eight bars of five-step schottische with the brief acceleration of the chassé beginning each repeat, then eight measures of fast/slow combination in the four pairs of truncated galop and slow half-turn. The truncated galop, with a slow close and no half-turn at the end, is found in other schottisches of this era; notably, it is the second measure of both the Gavotte and the Loomis New Gavotte (both previously described here).

I'm not sure I really like this combination overall, but I don't feel I can judge it fairly until I've had a chance to dance it with the original music. Hopefully I'll get to do so at some point!